Boston, Massachusetts

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Detailed Job Description

Berklee College of Music seeks a Dean of Student Advising and Success who will bring to this new senior leadership role the knowledge, experience, and skills necessary to effectively develop and implement a best practice model for undergraduate student advising and success. As the preeminent institute of contemporary music, Berklee offers a distinctive curriculum in music and liberal arts and a multidimensional student experience. The Dean will be responsible for collaborative development and design of new, innovative, and comprehensive approaches to student advising and success programs and services that support and enhance the Berklee student experience. In so doing, the Dean will contribute to the advancement of Berklee’s vision to nurture the growth of the world’s most inspired musicians so that they may fully realize their artistic, creative, and career potential.

Reporting to the Vice President for Student Affairs, the Dean of Student Advising and Success will oversee and coordinate a broad student advising and success portfolio that currently functions in a decentralized model. The design work of the Dean of Student Advising and Success will be supported by a senior leadership steering committee that includes the Vice President for Student Affairs, the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Vice Provost, the Vice President for Curriculum and Program Innovation, the Vice President for Enrollment, and the Dean of the Professional Education Division.

Key Responsibilities

The Dean of Student Advising and Success will create a clear strategy for more directed leadership, management, and operationalization of the current student advising and success system, including designing a more integrated and holistic approach to how it can best be organized and delivered to enhance the student experience, satisfaction, and success outcomes. To improve students’ navigation of and access to designated advisers, resources, and supports at various stages of their educational progression, the Dean will directly evaluate and improve the organization, management, and effectiveness of the following key areas:

Applicant and Transition Advising – Ensure a quality and seamless transition of matriculated students to the student advising and success team in the first year. Included must be well-designed operational, communications, and support strategies for all incoming students.

First Year Student Advising and Success Program – Create and organize current student advising and success services and resources into a more cohesive and impactful first year advising and success program; including developing clear, coordinated, and effective roles and responsibilities for existing staff, faculty, and peer advisers.

Course Registration – Examine the process for advising students on course planning and registration to ensure current roles, responsibilities, functions, and approaches are clearly defined, streamlined, and more fully integrated with particular emphasis on supporting students in their initial two-to-three semesters.

Specialized Student Advising and Support – Develop a more comprehensive, coordinated, and data-informed plan for specialized advising services, programs, and supports provided to at-risk or other select student populations.

Retention and Graduation – Ensure that the newly developed student advising and success system is designed to advance the key objectives in the college’s retention strategy for completion of course, major, and degree requirements.

The Dean will also work in partnership with leaders across campus to improve the organization, integration, and effectiveness of other student advising programs, services, and supports currently outside of his/her direct supervision that comprise the college-wide student success system, including:

The First Year Experience – Evaluate, develop, and implement a first year student advising and success program that is core to a more comprehensive and well-designed first year experience.

Major Field Advising – Build strong collaborative partnerships that ensure faculty advising in each of the college’s twelve majors are more fully integrated with the college-wide student advising and success system, including a clear student advising transition from the first year/undeclared to the major field.

Career Advising – Examine the role and positioning of career development programs, services, and supports as part of the broader student advising and success system, including strategic assessment of how best to align first year, major field, and career advising.

Student Wellness – Identify the strategic and operational opportunities to coordinate student wellness programs, services, and supports in ways that help to advance student success outcomes.

The Dean will be part of the President’s Council and Student Affairs senior leadership team with direct supervision of the Director, Academic Advising; Director, Disability Services; Director, International Student Services; Associate Director, Peer Advising; Chief Officer, Student Success and Retention; and Manager, Tutoring Services. Other critical roles or areas identified as central to advancing the newly designed student advising and success model will be open to further evaluation and consideration.

The Dean will utilize data-driven trends in student admission, retention, persistence, and graduation to inform strategic approaches to and improvements in the educational experience and critical student advising and support services. The new student advising and success model will also be informed by best practice approaches and responsive to the unique, diverse, and emerging needs of Berklee students. Critical to success will be identifying effective delivery models that balance face-to-face, online, and self-service advising components and defining information technology and space needs that will enhance the student experience, satisfaction, and success outcomes.

Other Responsibilities:

Serve as senior member of the crisis response team, specifically the senior response team; serve on call a minimum of 8 weeks an academic year and respond if called to assist in any campus crisis response; coordinate, respond, and/or assist with student and campus emergencies/crises; conduct necessary follow-up with Public Safety, local agencies, and/or parents and staff as needed; assist with coordination, communication and implementation of emergency response plans and actions.

Student advising support.

Evening/weekend work often required.

Flexibility and willingness to assume new tasks and special projects.

The Dean position is a full-time, 12-month position with a starting date as soon as is feasible. Compensation will be both competitive and commensurate with the successful candidate’s experience. The position is based in Boston, MA.

Berklee College of Music is committed to increasing the diversity of the college community. Candidates who can contribute to that goal are encouraged to apply and to identify their strengths in this area.

Application Procedure:

Applications must include the following items:

Letter of interest that addresses your qualifications and experiences relevant to the position; please address your letter to the Dean of Student Advising and Success Search Committee;

Statement of one page (or less) regarding your vision of a successful student advising and success program at a music college;

Detailed resume; and

Names of three professional references with current contact information (e-mail addresses and telephone numbers).

Application materials should be limited to 12 pages total. The materials must be submitted electronically, preferably in PDF format. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Required Skills

Ideal Qualities and Capabilities

The ideal candidate will be a visionary leader and administrator with strong experience in strategic planning, goal setting, program development, implementation, and delivery. The individual will possess the capacity to resonate with the unique character of Berklee and demonstrate commitment to Berklee’s vision to nurture the growth of the world’s most inspired musicians so that they may fully realize their artistic, creative, and career potential.

In order to successfully advance the design and implementation of a more comprehensive and integrated student advising and success model at Berklee, the ideal candidate will possess the following experiences and skills:

Collaboration and Interpersonal Skills. Ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships and critical partnerships across the campus and beyond to successfully advance plans for improved academic and student support services.

Leadership and Vision. Excellent leadership and team management skills with the ability to engage others through a participative process, while serving as a key decision maker. Strong visionary for designs, delivery models, and assessments of best practice approaches.

Innovative and Creative Thinking. Ability to enhance in creative and innovative ways the delivery of current or new resources, services, and programs to improve the student experience, supports, and outcomes.

Organizational and Staff Management. Supervisory experience of diverse teams and ability to provide effective management guidance and professional development support. Success in effectively aligning programs, services, and resources to best meet new and emerging needs.

Student Outcomes Advocacy. A deep knowledge, understanding, and appreciation for how well-designed student advising and success programs, services, and supports can advance student development and achievement of student’s personal, academic, and musical goals. A strong desire for and professional practice of advocating effectively for, and achieving, improved student experience and success outcomes.

Diversity and Inclusion. Demonstrated commitment to working effectively with a diverse and inclusive student body, faculty, staff, and other constituents.

Music. A passion for music, and the education of musicians, is essential. Musical training or equivalent experience is desirable, but not required.

Berklee College of Music is committed to increasing the diversity of the college community and the curriculum. Candidates who can contribute to that goal are encouraged to apply and to identify their strengths in this area.